Journalism of Courage
European aircraft-maker Airbus said on Sunday that the maintenance,repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in India would come up in a very short while,amid the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into its parent EADS over the inordinate delay in setting up the facility. India is Airbus third-largest market with over 70 per cent share.
The delay in setting up the MRO facility was due to our inability to find a partner. We are very serious about this and the work on the proposed facility will begin in a very,very short time, Airbus executive VP for sales and marketing Kiran Rao said at the Airbus headquarters here.
He added,We have got a private partner and we are soon to start work on the MRO facility. Accordingly,we have identified the location and we are going to start work very soon.
When pressed for a time-rame and the location,Rao said,I cannot give the details as it is very confidential. All I can say is that it is on. And it is in the central part of the country. It is coming and in a very,very short time.
On whether the MRO will be part of the offset clause,he said,the offset clauses are not for Airbus to implement,but for our parent EADS to handle. We were working on with Air India for the MRO and Air India was taking time hence the delay.
CBI has registered a Preliminary Enquiry in the Rs 8,000 crore Airbus deal to supply 43 aircraft to the erstwhile Indian Airlines.
It had started probing the deal last year as it came to light that clauses which governed setting up of an MRO unit,training centre and a warehouse,worth $17.5 crore by Airbus,were allegedly diluted by some officials.
The deal was finalised in September 2005 when an Empowered Group of Ministers had given its nod after Airbus agreed to set-up the facilities along with the supply of 43 aircraft.
